Program “OCEANS, RIVERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE: When Climate Makes Waves…” (27 April - 15 December 2015) [fr]

1- About Climate Change

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s latest report is clear: climate disruption is no longer a hypothesis, it’s a certainty. If we do not act in a very powerful way, the temperature rise will be over 4°C by 2100 with cataclysmic consequences for the environment, from sea level rise to ecosystem degradation, and for human societies: forced migrations and an increase in the number of conflicts (use of water resources, appropriation of fertile soils, etc.).

Yet it is still possible to reverse the trend...

Limiting temperature increase within 2°C above pre-industrial levels is the UN target to prevent some of the disastrous consequences of climate change, but it will require ambitious cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

2- About COP 21

In 1992, countries joined an international treaty, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to cooperatively consider what they could do to limit average global temperature increase and the resulting climate change, and to cope with their impact. 195 countries are now parties to the Convention. They meet yearly for the “Conference of the Parties” (COP), which is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention. In 1997, during the third COP, the well-known Kyoto Protocol was signed and the participating countries have committed to reduce GHG emissions by 5.2% compared to 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008 to 2012. During the Doha Conference (COP18), the Kyoto Protocol was extended to 2020.

In December 2015, France will host COP21.
The objective of this meeting is to finalize a new international agreement on a post-2020 regime. By the end of COP21, for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, all nations, including the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, both developed or developing countries, should be bound by a universal agreement on climate, applicable to all and ambitious enough to limit global warming to 2°C.

http://www.cop21paris.org/
http://www.consulfrance-hongkong.org/-Climate-Change-

3- About the project “OCEANS, RIVERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE: When Climate Makes Waves…” - Exhibitions, Lectures, Movie screenings…

French embassies throughout the world are dedicating their efforts to raise awareness on this topic, in order to ensure the achievement of COP21’s goal.
Through this cooperative project, the French Consulate in Hong Kong wants to play an active role in the awareness of students, teachers from all departments, and the general public.

What really means climate change?
What are the consequences?
What is the huge role the oceans play in the Earth’s climate and its evolution, and why is it a vital challenge for science?
How does the climate change affect meteorological phenomena like El Nino, monsoons, droughts and hurricanes, and what effect does it have on major river basins?
What can we do, at an individual level or all together, to tackle the causes of climate disruption and to reduce our vulnerability to its impacts?

A series of exhibitions, talks, lectures and educational activities will introduce these complex phenomena to the Hong Kong public from the 27th of April until the 11th of December. Then, the 5th of June is the Environment International Day and the 11th of December will be the last day of COP 21.

• 1. Educational exhibitions about Oceans, Rivers, Climate and Climate Change

Four educational exhibitions have been selected. These exhibitions are designed by the French Institute of Research for Development (IRD) and the National Observatory on the climate change effects (ONERC), with the support of the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Development (MAEDI), by the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy (MEDDE) and by the organization Surfrider.

(1) Climate Change : What’s that ?

(2) Ocean and Climate – Exchange for life

(3) Rivers, Climate and People

(4) “Respecte ta MER» - « Respect your Beach ! » by Surfrider exhibitions

These exhibitions are aimed to be presented in high schools and universities and other public venues to be identified from June to December 2015.

These exhibitions will be part of Le French May cultural festival, which 23rd edition will be held in May and June 2015, thus benefiting from the festival communication and audience.

• 2. Exhibition and Workshops «Climate Change: Artistic Dialogue between Nicolas Vial and Young Hong Kong Artist» - Ecology, Illustration, Awareness

Curated by the Young Friends of the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Virginie Morin Brucker, the exhibition will display around 30 pieces of original illustrations by the renowned French artist Nicolas Vial - illustrator for the French magazine Le Figaro who has been publishing satirical editorial cartoons on the newspaper Le Monde (The World) for over 30 years - alongside works by young emerging Hong Kong artists to converge on the imminent subject of climate change and global environmental distress.
As part of Le French May cultural festival, the exhibition will be held from the 13th of May to the 10th of June at the Experimental Gallery, Hong Kong Arts Centre.
A series of outreach activities will be planned around the exhibition, through workshops and sharing sessions, to raise awareness about the severity of environmental decay and how art can play a crucial role in promulgating public awareness for critical social issues.

• 3. Educational activities about Oceans, Rivers, Climate and Climate Change

 Educational activities and talks with experts will be organized during the period covered by the three rotating exhibitions. They will focus on the specific context of Asia and Hong Kong and how individuals can be part of the global solution.

 The program shall insist on the fact that fighting climate disruption is not only a burden but also an opportunity to innovate, to create jobs and growth, to improve energy security and competitiveness and to create healthier and fairer societies.

 A challenge for students to find solutions (technical, financial and political) to reduce/adapt to climate change will also be organized. Some winners might present their project to the exhibition “Solution COP 21” in Paris (http://www.solutionscop21.org/?lang=en).

 Movie screenings and debates with experts will be proposed to students and the general public.

• 4. Involvement of French Experts

 French experts, from the national Centre for Scientific research (CNRS) and the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER) will give talks in Hong Kong, during international scientific conferences, cafés scientifiques, public information days, etc. and will meet with scholars and students.

 Experts from French companies, among which Kering, Veolia, etc., developing sustainable actions will give their testimony to scholars, students and the general public.

 A series of « Climate change » meetings will be organized by the scientific team of the French Consulate and held every other two months at the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong in order to share the information about the preparation of COP21

Partners already committed:
Hong Kong Universities and high schools:
Hong Kong International School (HKIS)
Hong Kong Sustainable Campus Consortium (HKSSC)
French International School (FIS)
The University of Hong Kong (HKU)
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
The Polytechnic University of Hong Kong (PolyU)
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
The Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)

Hong Kong Companies/institutions:
Alliance Française de Hong Kong
Civic Exchange
Croucher Foundation
French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Hong Kong (HKFCCI)
Ocean Park Conservation Foundation
WWF HK
Le French May-Association Culturelle France-Hong Kong
Asia Society Hong Kong
Business Environment Council (BEC)
Cyberport
Ecozine
The HK Fixer

French Companies/institutions
Ministère de l’Ecologie, du Développement Durable et de l’Energie (MEDDE)
Tara Expéditions
Institut Français
MTV5 Monde
KERING
VEOLIA
Parenthèses Bookshop
Surfrider Foundation
Vinci Construction Grands Projets
French Institutes of Research
IRD
IFREMER
CNRS

Other Consulates in Hong Kong
European Union delegation
European Consulates

You can find more about French Experts already committed and the detailled program in the document attached called "Oceans, Rivers & Climate Change".

(PDF - 443.1 kb)

Redactors :

Isabelle SAVES, Attachée for Scientific and Academic affairs
Julie METTA, Scientific officer
Tiphaine CORBET, Scientific officer

Contact : sciences@consulfrance-hongkong.org